It seems like you either love the new Twitter profile, or hate it.

The haters say that it makes Twitter just that much more like Facebook; something they see as a trend. I pulled the following couple of representative tweets randomly from the #twitterprofile thread:

Have u seen the new design for Twitter profile ? Hmm looks too much like Facebook! Keep your own style Twitter! It's better! - @BernsyLuv

"Upgraded" to new Twitter profile. Looks suspiciously like FB. Will be interesting to see how next few weeks unfold as loyalists protest. - @daviesmoore

Ironically, I think the stats would probably reveal that most people -- for all their objections -- also have active Facebook accounts anyway.

The lovers, on the other hand, see the expanded real estate of the new Twitter profile page as an enhanced opportunity for branding. Perhaps, at the risk of gross generalization, that really reveals the difference between the haters and the lovers. It’s the difference between those who use Twitter as primarily a downtime social escape (think “high school cafeteria”), and those who use it as a tool for missional engagement (think “friendly business lunch”). These two crowds co-exist happily enough side-by-side all the time in the Twitterverse; but every now and then an event (like changing the Twitter profile design) reminds us of the real gulf between them.

Any which way you or I feel about the change, it is now the new reality. Some very sharp people live over at Twitterquarters, and they don’t roll out new directions on a whim. You can be sure it’s very calculated, and in line with their vision of the future. In other word, the loyalists may protest loudly, but don’t expect a rollback any time soon.

So, the first order of business has to be maximizing whatever opportunities it affords. With that in mind, let me give you a 5 point checklist of things every marketer should do immediately to capitalize on the new Twitter profile design: